South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said Monday he is canceling orders that closed beaches and limited some retail businesses.
McMaster said he is letting mayors and city council make their own decisions about opening public access to beaches, piers, docks, ramps, etc. Groups of three people or more are not allowed and will be dispersed.
Beaches may reopen today (Tuesday) at noon.
He also canceled his order to close retail businesses except for pick up and delivery.
These businesses now may reopen: furniture, jewelry, department, clothing and shoes, florists, books, crafts, flea markets, and music stores.
However, the stores must adhere to previous mandates that require an occupancy limit of five customers per 1,000 square feet or 20 percent of posted occupancy limits, whichever is less.
As Monday morning, South Carolina has 4,439 cases of coronavirus and 124 deaths attributed to the virus.
In response to McMaster’s announcement, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper’s office released the following statement:
The Stay at Home and social distancing orders that Governor Cooper put in place are working, and people should continue to stay at home to save lives. Governor Cooper is communicating closely with many elected officials, including other governors, as well as health experts and business leaders, to respond to this crisis and chart a path forward that will protect public health and jumpstart our economy.